I’m sitting at home. I had classes to take, a family to handle, dogs to care for so I didn’t make the trip to San Antonio, TX for the ISTE 2017 Conference. Instead I joined the Google+ group NOTATISTE (Not at ISTE, get it?). The group is a fantastic resource. Believe it or not, you can actually sit at home and WATCH a number of sessions including the Keynotes. (You should watch Jennie Magiera’s keynote.)

So this sounds like an ad for Google+ and it is partially is. Google+ connects you to a greater community of people with similar interests. You can post and respond to others quite easily.

But why Twitter? Because Twitter provides an open platform to learn.

In 140 characters? Yes. Twitter provides links to articles, live periscope and all sorts of things. But here’s the kicker. You DON’T have to participate. You just have to read.

It’s pretty simple, really. You create a Twitter account. Then you can open Tweetdeck and create columns of interesting hashtags. Look at #notatiste17 for so much information about the conference. For that matter, look at any hashtags on education. You can simply read whenever you feel like it.

There are conversations on Twitter and you can just lurk. You have my permission to just watch and read and not participate. Want to see questions and their answers? Just look for the hashtag you want to follow and find the Q1 or corresponding A1. The reality is that after you spend some time learning the lingo and following the hashtags, there’s a very high chance that you will want to respond to someone’s question or statement. At that point, you’ve headed down the rabbit hole. Remember to be personable, not personal. Enjoy learning!

2 thoughts on “Why Twitter for Teachers?”

At my last school, I had teachers asking me where I got my ideas and I always told them the same answer, Twitter!

I tried to get people excited by holding some school-based chats, but unfortunately, most of the teachers I who I did get to sign up didn’t think they had the time to use it. I think in the future I will include an “Around Twitter” section where I highlight interesting things I come across.

I have to give a Twitter presentation during our yearly PD kickoff. I *love* Twitter; I use it to find new ideas, meet new people, and share my kids’ success.

My favorite use for Twitter is to quickly find other classrooms who are looking to Mystery Skype. I love Tweetdeck as well; I’m keeping one eye on Mystery Skypers, one eye on district happenings, and, um… I guess I’m out of eyes!! LOL. Seriously, though, it’s a great tool to find awesome ideas. When a teacher is looking for a resource, I just tell them to search the hashtag on Twitter. It always delivers!